Apple tree named &#39;Antietam Blush&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinctive variety of  Malus domestica  apple tree, named ‘Antietam Blush’ that is distinguished by its attractive fruit color and flavor, early harvest season that is different than its parents, and its moderate scion dwarfing.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This Application is based on Provisional Patent Application No.61/963,085 filed on 22 Nov. 2013.

LATIN NAME

Malus domestica Borkh.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Antietam Blush’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of apple tree ‘Antietam Blush’ was created in the courseof a planned breeding program carried out at in Keedysville, Md.‘Antietam Blush’ originated as an open-pollinated seed of ‘Cripps Pink’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,880 P, seed parent) and an unknown CGM seedling(not patented, pollen parent). CGM seedlings were the result of anopen-pollinated cross between seedlings of ‘McIntosh Wijcik’ (notpatented, seed parent) and ‘Gala’ (not patented, pollen parent)generated by the inventors in Keedysville, Md. The plantings wereisolated from other plantings, so while they were the result ofopen-pollination, the authors are fairly certain of the pollenparentage. ‘Cripps Pink’, CGM, ‘McIntosh Wijcik’ and ‘Gala’ were allcultivated between the years 1991 and 1999. CGM seedlings were on theirown roots, while the varieties ‘Cripps Pink’, ‘McIntosh Wijcik’ and‘Gala’ were grafted on M.7. ‘Antietam Blush’ was selected as a singleplant from among a population of seedlings derived from these parentsfor its precocity, productivity, tree architecture, attractive fruitcolor and flavor, and adaptation to the hot, wet summer growingconditions present in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Itis distinguished from its seed parent by its early harvest season whichin Keedysville, Md. is the first week of October. ‘Cripps Pink’ isharvested at that same location three to four weeks later. In the tenthleaf, the height and spread of the original self-rooted ‘Antietam Blush’seedling was 3.02 m and 3.27 m, respectively. Wild-type Cripps Pinkseedlings at the same age measured 4.14 m and 4.57 m, respectively. Fromthis we estimate a minimum of 30% scion dwarfing. ‘Antietam Blush’ is adeparture from other dwarfing, tree architecture releases in that it isneither a single-leader, columnar type (ie. ‘Maypole’, ‘Tuscan’,‘Hercules’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Trajan’, or ‘Telamon’, to name a few) nor isit a spur type tree characterized by the very short internode length(ie. Spur-type Red Delicious, Early Spur Rome, ‘Cumberland Spur’,‘Oregon Spur’, etc). ‘Antietam Blush’ retains an attractive “Christmastree” shape, while being 30% smaller than wild-type counterparts.Internodes are somewhat reduced, but not generally comparable totraditional spur types.

Table 1 represents fruit quality indices of ‘Antietam Blush, ‘GrannySmith’, and ‘Pink Lady’ varieties. In Table 1, pressure is a measure offruit firmness, SSC is a measure of soluble solid content of fruit inunits ° Brix, and SPI is a measure of the starch pattern index on theCornell 8-point starch chart. The varieties were sampled on November5^(th,) 2014 and data is presented as an average of twenty fruit.

TABLE 1 Firmness (kilo) SSC Starch Fruit Weigh (g) Antietam Blush 7.8616.2 7 153.4 Granny Smith 7.03 12.05 6.5 178.25 Pink Lady 8.6 16.7 5158.8

Important features of ‘Antietam Blush’ with respect to prior artcultivars include low-pruning tree architecture, precocity and highproducticity with low biennial bearing, and improved fruit quality andpleasing aesthetic appearance. ‘Antietam Blush’ is adapted toMid-Atlantic, U.S.A. growing conditions.

Asexual propagation by budding was first carried out in Cecilton, Md.The variety appears to be compatible with Mailing 9 rootstocks, which iscurrently the industry standard. Successful grafting of budwood ontoMerton-Malling 111 rootstocks was accomplished. This is the first in aseries of second-generation trees we have developed with size controland tree-architecture benefits conferred by the scion. These make itapplicable to intensive apple management systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 shows the blossoms of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 2 shows the fruit of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 3 shows the tree architecture of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 4 shows the leaves and immature fruit of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 5 shows the floral buds of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 6 shows the scaffold branch of ‘Antietam Blush’;

FIG. 7 shows the trunk of ‘Antietam Blush’ at waist height; and

FIG. 8 shows budwood stick of ‘Antietam Blush’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed botanical description is based on observations ofthe ten year old ‘Antietam Blush’ apple tree grown at Keedysville, Md.Color descriptions refer to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, published in 2001. It should be understood that thecharacteristics described will vary somewhat depending upon culturalpractices and climatic conditions, and can vary with location andseason. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average ofmeasurements taken from a number of individual fruits of the newvariety. The measurements of any individual plant, or any group ofplants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average. Whenmultiple colors were observed, the primary color is listed first and thesecondary color is listed second.

-   Tree:    -   -   Vigor.—Low to Medium vigor.        -   Habit.—Spreading.        -   Bearing.—Spurs and laterals on last year's wood.        -   Size.—Height: 3.02 m; spread: 3.27 m.        -   Trunk.—Diameter 8.7 cm at 30 cm above soil line; bark            texture smooth; color grey-brown 199C.        -   Trunk lenticels.—Density 8 per square inch; length 0.1 to            0.2 cm; color grey-brown 199B.        -   Branches (scaffold limbs located about 1 m above            ground).—Length 152 cm; diameter 2.2 cm (near trunk, past            collar); crotch angle 90 degree; color greyed-green 197B.        -   Branch lenticels.—Density 6 per square inch; length 0.1 cm;            color greyed-green 197D.        -   Winter hardiness.—Hardy in Keedysville, Md., USDA Hardiness            Zone 6b (−5° F. to 0° F.).        -   Dormant one year old shoot.—Size — Diameter 0.25 cm; length            28 cm.        -   Color.—Grey-brown N199C. Internode length — 3.7 cm.        -   Lenticels.—Density 88 per square inch; length 0.1 cm; color            grey-brown N199D.-   Flowers:    -   -   Bud.—Quantity per spur 5 to 6; length 1.3 cm; diameter 0.7            cm; color red-purple 64C with white N155C.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower 5; cupped upwards, free, not            touching; width 0.9 cm; length 1.6 cm; color white NN155B            and red-purple 63C when fully open.        -   Flower.—Diameter 3.9 cm.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower 5; length 0.8 cm; width 0.3 cm;            color yellow-green 142B.        -   Pedicel.—Length 2.0 cm; diameter 0.1 cm; color yellow-green            144B.        -   Anthers.—Quantity per flower 17; length 1.0 cm; stamen color            orange-white 159A; pollen color yellow 4D.        -   Stigma.—Color yellow-green 144D. Style — Length 0.9; color            yellow-green 144C.        -   Ovary.—Length 0.5 cm; width 0.3 cm; color green 143A.        -   Time of flowering.—Early to mid-April in Keedysville, Md.,            similar to Gala/Cripps Pink.        -   Pollination requirement.—No special pollination requirements            known.-   Leaf (first fully expanded):    -   -   Size.—Length 7.6 cm; width 4.6 cm.        -   Margin.—Crenate.        -   Surface texture.—Upper surface medium glossy; Lower surface            weak pubescent. Color — Upper surface green 143A; lower            surface yellow-green 144B.        -   Shape.—Ovate; apex acuminate; base equilateral.        -   Petiole.—Length 3.2 cm; width 0.2 cm; color yellow-green            144B.-   Fruit:    -   -   Size.—Diameter 7.0 cm; height 5.7 cm.        -   Fruit shape.—Oblate to Conic. Position of maximum diameter —            Equator.        -   Ribbing.—Absent.        -   Crowning at calyx end.—Absent.        -   Aperture of eye.—Open.        -   Depth of eye basin.—Medium, 1 cm.        -   Width of eye basin.—Medium, 2.0 cm.        -   Lenticels.—Medium, diameter 0.7 mm; Density 6 per cm.        -   Locule.—Aperture of locule in transverse section is closed;            Average size of locule is 7.2 mm by 4.3 mm.        -   Stalk.—Diameter 0.5 cm; length 1.5 cm.        -   Depth of stalk cavity.—Medium, 1.5 cm.        -   Width of stalk cavity.—Medium, 2.0 cm.        -   Size of lenticels.—Small, 1 mm.        -   Bloom of skin.—Absent.        -   Greasiness of skin.—Absent.        -   Ground color of skin.—Green-Yellow 1C.        -   Over color of skin.—Red 53B stripe with red 47C blush over            approximately 90% of surface.        -   Flesh.—Texture crisp; medium juiciness; color yellow-white            158C.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit 5; teardrop shape; length 0.7 cm,            width 0.5 cm; color brown 200D.        -   Aroma.—Weak.        -   Harvest date.—3 to 4 weeks before ‘Cripps Pink’ (U.S. Plant            Pat. No. 7,880 P).        -   Storage.—Fruit remains in good condition after 70 days in            storage at 4±0.5° C.        -   Disease/pest resistance.—fruit showed better than average            tolerance to Brown Marmorated Stink Bug; fruit were            susceptible to bitter rot (Glomerella cingulata) in years            conducive to the disease; tree showed some field tolerance            to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora (Burrill 1882) Winslow et            al. 1920) following bloom infection and hail storms.        -   Market use.—Dessert.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Apple tree known as ‘AntietamBlush’ as described herein, illustrated and identified by thecharacteristics set forth above.